Traffic-signal



L. F. MAIRE.

TRAFFIC SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1917.

Patented Feb-24, 1920.

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TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12. 911.

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U l l llTED STATES PATENT GFFHEE.

LOUIS F. MAIRE, NEAR NEW HAVEN, INDIANA.

TRAFFIC-SIGNAL.

Application filed April 12, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS F. MAIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing near New Haven, R. F. D; No. 5, Allen county, Indiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Traffic-Signals, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to signals for controlling trafiic on streets and,highways. lllany traffic signals now in use at street intersectionsrequire the traffic officer to stand at the signal for the purpose ofoperating it to control the traffic at the intersection. li here thesignal is located in the center of the intersection the oflicer isnecessarily exposed to injury from the traffic and also to inclementweather and the suns rays.

The object of the present invention is to provide a removable signalwhich the traffic oiiicer may easily and effectively operate at a pointremoved from the same, as on the sidewalk, where he is away from thestreet trafiic and may be protected against the weather.

In the drawings I illustrate an embodiment of the invention, in whichFigure 1 is a vertical cross-section of the signal and its actuatingdevices.

Fig. 2 is a plan view on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fractional plan view of the post support.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 44 of Fig. 5 is a cross-section online 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section of the sig 1 30st, and

E ig. l is a horizontal crosssection through the signal and post.

Referring to the drawings 10 is a housing or box which in practice isburied or embedded in the ground with the upper surface of flange 11 onneck 12 flush with the surface of the pavement or ground. Neck 12 isintegral with cover 13 of the box and a flange 14 projects inwardly fromthe wall of the neck at a suitable point to provide a bearing for head15 on shaft 16, which shaft is seated at its lower end in bearing 17 inbox 10. Head 15 is preferably hexagonal eXteriorly at its upper end andit is also recessed and threaded to receive an insulated plug 18 towhich are secured two sockets 19 and 20. lVires 21 connect to socket 19and wires 22 connect to socket 20, both sets of Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Serial No. 161,389.

wires being extended through suitable insulated apertures 28 in head 15.

The signal post 24 is threaded at its lower end into a sleeve 25 whichis shaped or formed to be engaged over the upper end of head 15 on shaft16. A flange 26 on the sleeve bears upon flange 11 of neck 12. Plug 2'?is threaded into sleeve 25 and carries two contact plugs or members 28and 29 to which are connected wires 30 and 31 respectively, the wiresbeing extended above the plug into hollow post 24. Tires 31 areconnected to an electric hell or other electrically operated alarm,whichis secured on post at a suitable point.

Gland 33 is threaded into the upper end of post 24 and the lower end ofthe signal carrying post 34 is threaded into the gland, post 34 alsobeing hollow. The signal plate 35 of suitable color and size andlettering has two depending pegs 36 which are inserted into apertures 37provided in gland 83, and the central portion of the plate is curved soas to pass around post 34. The engagement of the pegs and apertures holdthe plate rigid yet permit of the easy removal of the plate. A lampsocket 38 is connected to the upper end of post 34 and wires 30 areconnected to the socket to provide an electrical circuit to electriclamp 39 installed in the socket.

The entire signal post is removable from head 15 and to install the postit is necessary, only, to engage sleeve on the head in the proper mannerto insure the engagement of plugs 28 and 29 in sockets 19 and 20 respectively.

I Shaft 16 is rcvolubly supported in bearing 17 and segment gear 40 issecured to the shaft. A rack 41 is secured to reciprocable rod 42 and isin mesh with gear 40, the rack being guided by support 43 in box 10.llod 42 projects through pipe 44 which secured at one end to box 10 andis embedded in the ground or concrete of the pavement, the other end ofthe pipe being secured to a similar box or housing 45 also embedded inthe ground at the point where it is desired the traflic oflicer shallstand. Rod 42 projects into box 45 and a rack 46 similar to rack 41 issecured to the rod and meshes with a gear 47 secured to shaft 48, whichis supported at its lower end in bearing 49 on box 45. A support 50serves to support and guide the rack within the box 45. Shaft 48 isextended i the stand.

upwardly through cover plate 51 of box 4:5 and through top 52 of neck 53of the box.

Flange 54 on the neck 53 is flush with the side walk or surface of theground about it. Stand or hollow post 55 is secured to flange 54 andshaft 4L8 is extended up through the stand and through bearing 56 in thetop of Crank 57 is removably secured to the upper end of shaft 48 bywhich the shaft may be rotated by the officer to cause rod 42 toreciprocate and to rotate the signal post. Door 58 is hung on the standto afford access to the interior thereof, a suitable look, not shown,being provided to prevent tampering with the interior of the stand.

Pipe 59is also embedded in the ground or concrete and is connected atone endto'boX or housing 10 at a convenient or suitable point, as toneck 12 and the other end is connected to boX orhousing 5 at a suitablepoint, as to flange 54. Wires 21 and 22 are led through pipe 59 and intostand or post 55. ires 21 are connected to switch 60 which is securedwithin the stand, service wires 61 of the lighting system of the highwaybeing connected to wires 21 at a convenient point. Wires 2:2 areconnected to battery 62 and to push button 63. Button 63 is locatedat apoint convenient to be operated by the oflicer for causing the currentfrom the battery or other suitable source of electrical energy to soundthe alarm 32. Switch 6%. enables the officer to break the alarm circuitwhen dedirection and permit its passage in the other direction, He willsound the alarm whenever he desires. At night the entire signal 7 postmay be removed from its support, or

the signal plate may be removed and the electric lamp be lighted. If anofficer is on duty the electric lamp will illuminate the plate, and thebulb'may be colored to suit the taste;

sockets in the recess, a signal carrying member detachably secured onthe head and having two plugs depending therefrom adapted to be engagedin the sockets, a segment gear secured to the shaft, a. rack in meshwith the gear, a reciprocable rod secured to the rack,a rack secured tothe opposite end of the rod, a second shaft revolubly mounted, asegmentgear secured to the second shaft and engaging the latter rack and meansconnected to the latter shaft for rotating it and the signal carryingmember.

'2. In a traffic signal the combination of a vertically disposedrevolubly mounted shaft, a segmental gear secured tothe shaft, a signalcarrying post detachably and removably I secured to the upper end of theshaft, a sec ond vertically disposed revolu-bly mounted shaft removedfrom the first named shaft, a segmental gear secured to the lower end ofthe second shaft, a reciprocable rod adapted to be buried in the ground,a rack at each opposite end of the rod meshing with the segmental gearsrespectively and means to rotate the second shaft for causing the signalcarrying post to rotate.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my name this 10" day of April,1917.

LOUIS r. MAIRE.

